A sabayon is a beautiful full-bodied sauce, believed to have originated in Italy in the 16th century. Many believe it to be a cousin of the light, egg-based Italian dessert zabaglione.
It was discovered by fluke by a man nicknamed Zvan Bajoun. As the story goes, one day, Zvan Bajoun arrived in Reggio Emilia with his troops and set up camp. As luck would have it, there was no food and all the soldiers could find were eggs, honey, white wine and aromatic herbs from the nearby hills. Forced to make do, these ingredients were blended together as a kind of soup. Surprisingly, the soldiers enjoyed it thoroughly. And so, was born, completely by chance, a recipe that became indispensible ? bearing the name of its inventor. Eventually the name was transformed into Zabajon, as it is still pronounced in Italy today.
The base of the sauce is a foamy mixture called a sabayon, made by beating egg yolks with water or white wine or champagne, over simmering water until thickened and increased in volume. Ensure that the mixture does not get too hot or it will become grainy. If it begins to feel warmer than body temperature, remove the pan from heat, beating until the mixture cools. Then return to the heat and continue cooking. A sabayon may be served warm or cold. The only difference is that a cold sabayon is beaten off the heat until cooled.
Sabayons can be sweet or savoury. They may be served simply as a sauce, flavoured with the desired alcohol, or they may form the base of a mousse mixture. They are also sometimes used for sweet or savoury gratins. Many like to add cornflour as this provides stability to the sabayon.
HErb SaBAYON FOR vegetables
Ingredients: 1 egg; 2 egg yolks; 2 tbs vegetable stock; 100g melted butter; 11/2 tbs lemon juice; salt & pepper; 1 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped; 1 tbs fresh chives, finely chopped
Method: Whisk the egg, egg yolks and stock in a saucepan over a very low heat. Remove from heat and add the butter, a little by little, whisking constantly. Add the lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until the sauce becomes fluffy. Serve warm with boiled or steamed vegetables.
